From the beginning
by Lola93091
Summary: Olivia has helped Rick from the beginning and has stuck by him ever since. My first fic ever, please be kind and review :
1. Chapter 1

Hello Everyone! So I must say that this is my first piece of writing on this wonderful site. I am a huge fan of this show I do love all the Daryl/OC stories, however, I do love Rick Grimes as well which is why I have decided to create a small piece for Rick lovers to enjoy. All characters belong to the show except for my original character.

(NOTE: takes place mostly at the end of the current season. My character, Olivia, is in her twenties and has already met Rick as you will find out)

**Flashback**

"Hey…can you hear me?" Slowly, Rick opened his eyes to see a young woman staring back at him. "We need to leave this place…let me help you". Eyes half closed, he could only manage to ask "what…what happened…who are you?

"Olivia and we have to leave now". She leaned over to pull him up slowly from the hospital bed.

**End of Flashback **(Olivia's POV)

I paced back and forth on the porch squinting hard to try and find Rick and his son in the overwhelming darkness that had swallowed the farm land. Lori was pacing and was yelling out for Carl. I couldn't stay still, my body was shaking. I ran into the house and up the stairs with speed I never knew I had to begin with. Hopefully, from the window I could see where the hell the two were. My heart was beating, my hands sweaty, please god show me where they are. Looking through one of the girl's rooms, I managed to see a blur of who I have been searching for as well as the massive group of walkers following. Yes, hell on earth indeed. "Rick…oh my god…Rick…Rick!" I left the room just as fast and nearly tumbled down the steps to get back outside. I took the small gun from my back pocket and prepared to shoot. From afar, I saw the small barn house go up in flames and I knew they were in there. Adrenaline shot through my body as it pushed me to run past a lot of the walkers coming towards me. Just as I thought I could get closer to find them, too many were surrounding me. Turning back quickly, I lost all sense of direction and with all that was going on I felt my body weaken. "Olivia! Olivia! Over here!" My eyes shot wide open to hear a truck coming towards me. Sure enough it was Rick who was sharing the truck with Hershel. Jumping into the back seat, he stepped on the gas and finally we left the farm for good.

My heart was still beating as if it wanted to burst but somehow my dizziness faded from knowing that Rick was here, he found me and that's all I could ask for. His son in the car as well I thought about where his mother could be.

"Olivia? Are you alright?" he asked while gasping. I looked up at him in the mirror and nodded. "Yes…you?" he didn't respond. His body was tense so I knew his answer. I rubbed my arms to comfort myself and began to think back on the days which lead to all of this. I never thought for one second before that we were all going to live merrily on that farm. No, I knew this day would come. I felt my eyelids closing down and before I knew it sleep took over.

…..hours later

We made it to the highway, where all the cars had littered the road. The one place we had all tried hard to hide from the herd of the undead. Through the cracked window, I heard Rick talking to Hershel.

"Have a little faith!"

From what I heard, Rick was giving Hershel reasons again to keep on living. From the day I had saved him from the hospital and later, he had always reassured me in a similar way. But he gave me comfort by telling me that I WILL survive. Yes, I have been attracted to him since day one. I have never met anyone who held such morals and had this much strength in this kind of world. Soon we heard the roaring of a motorcycle. My lips twitched up into a smile and chuckled as I looked at Daryl with Carol right behind. "What a hero" I thought. Everyone gathered here and Rick turned to see Lori coming at him. I smiled sympathetically but inside I couldn't help the stab of jealousy. It was not right to wish anything bad upon anyone but I had negative feelings mixed with my positive one. 'Some things will never change', I thought. Turning back around I climbed back into the car and wondered where our next destination would be.

….

We made it to a nice wooded area with what seemed to be remains of a stone building. As the group had settled down from their argument over the safety of the area, I had scavenged the area for wood to use for the fire we will make later. This forest area was not the best place to be but we needed to stop and I accepted that. Hearing Lori's voice, I slowed my steps. They were arguing and part of what I could make out, Shane's death was a topic. Truthfully, Lori could not be any more ungrateful to everything he has done and tried to do. My brows bent in anger over her voice, I slowly turned to walk away until she stormed off. His hands on his hips and face flushed red out of stress I didn't want to be seen, wishing to be invisible. _Crrrrraaaaaaack! _Damn twig.

"You know, even a deer makes less noise" he huffed out with only a bit of humor.

"Oh, I am so sorry…I…I was just looking for wood and-"

"No, no" he dismissed with his hand, "It's alright Olivia" He touched his face to wipe his forehead.

"I just…I just wanted to let you know that what you did back there…was right". He looked at me surprised but still stressed out.

"With Shane…I can't judge you on a single action because…because I already know what kind of a man you are"

He looked almost confused now not exactly knowing if what I said was good.

"You're a good man Rick…I wanted you to know that too…"

"Olivia…" he whispered out of his cracked voice "thank you…I just don't know what to do anymore…"

Walking up to him slowly but steady I reached around to hug him. In return he patted my back. Unlacing my hands, I let them brush down to his right hand and held onto it.

"If I hadn't met you back at that hospital, if you hadn't woken up…Rick, I don't know where the hell I would be, so thank you" with that last word I let his hand fall and walked back to where the rest of the group was. The sky was turning darker, night would soon follow.

….

The group members were silent out of shock by the way Rick had expressed himself. It was as if he was turning into Shane. A completely different side most of us had not witnessed until now. The fire was at its largest and I could make out all the faces surrounding it. I wasn't hungry or thirsty, not sure if I was even tired but I got up and left the group once things died down a bit.

"Olivia, where are you going?" Carol asked almost silently.

"Don't worry just need a bit of time alone…I won't go too far don't worry"

I felt eyes burn onto my back as I had left the group. I didn't want to go too far but just far enough to think for a few. Looking up at the pitch black sky I could see the most beautiful stars. It seemed that no matter how bad things were on land the sky always reflected the life we all had before. The wind blew across the grounds and hit my arms. I could finally breathe easily.

"Ya know, I don't blame ya"

Surprised I turned fast on the log I was sitting on to look up at Rick who was stepping over large rocks and twigs on the ground to get to where I sat.

"We need to stick together but I don't blame ya for comin out here to think…we all need time like this"

Now he was standing next to me and slowly crouched down to sit on the log. Thank goodness for the full moon tonight. Not being able to build my own small fire helped to have some natural light. We stared both straight out into the distance. Crickets in the background and the wind still making low whispering sounds as it swept by.

"Yes…I uh, I really need this…ya know star gazing was never a hobby of mine not even as a kid until now"

He then looked to the sky.

"It's perfect…"

"Yeah"

"Listen…what I said back there-"

"Yeah you did kind of scared us a bit back there…who were-"

"I, I really have no idea… when I lost Shane…when I killed Shane back on that farm-"

"what happened, happened…and to tell you the truth…and the ugly truth…we are far better off without him and I apologize but I can't cry over it and I cannot and will not let that cover the fact that we…we are still here and able to keep moving on coz in the end that is all we are going to have to do anyway"

Hugging my thin jacket to myself I looked over at Rick who was staring at me in awe.

"So that's your view of this…of all of this"

"Yes…it is"

He lowered his head and nodded accepting what I had said.

His presence was becoming unbearable. I took in everything more than before. Here he is talking to me, and my selfish feelings and stupid crush came back to me full force. I've been through so damn much with this man, from the hospital to the city and there on. The moonlight revealed his light jacket and dark shirt underneath. His face filled with fatigue but with or without blood the man was always handsome to me.I have seen all faces of him: tired, sick, anger, and stress.

"We ought to head back…we don't wanna stay here too long"

With that he got up and brushed himself off a bit and prepared to climb over the log.

"Yes, yes we should"

_Snnnnnaaaaapcrrrriiiiick! _I had gotten my foot stuck on a small opening of the log and in slow motion felt myself falling forward until a pair of arms had caught me around the shoulders. I looked down at the hands that gripped my arms strongly and then looked up. My breath caught in my throat as I had noticed how close our faces were at that moment.

"Be…be careful now" he panted out. Our eyes connected for a few minutes, just breathing and looking. The white part of his gleamed in the dark. I couldn't hold back anymore it was as if I just didn't care anymore. I pushed my face forward and caught his lips with such passion that he continued to hold on. After everything he has been through today it seemed like he didn't care either. Tongues met and we were now holding on to each other for support not even taking the time to know which way to turn. My hands gripped his jacket with desperation. My knees turned to jelly and soon enough I ended on the ground upright against a tree. Our kissing did not stop. My hands flew to his face to feel the stubs and could hear the light scratching sounds it made as we kissed harder. My heart was beating faster by the second. I pulled him closer; I needed to feel heat needed to feel the comfort. With both legs on either side of mine he knelt down to kiss me longer. We were both panting as if forgetting to take a moment to breathe again. The feeling of his warm breath and the sounds of our lips was arousing. I was living in the moment and got up on both knees to lace my hands around his neck. He put an arm around my waist to pull me flush against his body. I moaned a bit once I felt his erection. In return, I rubbed up against him slowly. It was now his rough voice I heard. My fingers scratched his arms to peel his jacket off. He took his jacket and laid it on the ground behind me. Pushing against my shoulders gently, I found myself lying down. The rough natural ground scratched my back but I felt no pain. He settled himself between my jean covered legs. I reached up to hug his neck with my arms to connect our lips once again. These were not soft romance filled kisses...no they were fast and sloppy. Our ability to make deicisions was gone as the sounds of our gasping breaths took over. The spit strings that connected our lips appeared like crystals under the moonlight. With minimal light, I could still see his lust filled gaze and the sweat that matted his forehead. We did not have time to take any of this slow so I pushed my pants as hard as I could down my thighs. Looking up at him he gave me a look of concern. Realizing what he wants to ask I replied,"Oh...dont worry...I uh..back at the farm I took-" He nodded and pulled my face gently to continue kissing. With my eyes closed I could hear the sound of a zipper and belt buckle. I hugged my legs around his waist to push against him closer. Lying my head completely against the smooth collar of his jacket I suddenly felt him enter. "OH...ssss.." It was quick and he gave me a moment before continuing. As if we only had a couple of minutes he began snapping up and down. Up, down, up...our bodies shook with need and desperation.

"Ooo..oh..oh god" I placed my chin onto his shoulder to look up at the sky. My skin was on fire as he breathed against me hard. My calves were digging into his backside edging him on. We may not have had our bodies completely unclothed but somehow being half exposed brought a completely new and intense feeling to all of it. His chest against mine as he moved, the sound of his shoes pushing against the ground and the sound of our pants creating friction was unbelievable. There was nothing around us and it felt like we had nothing in the world to worry about. My mind was turned to slush. I could feel myself tighten and I knew he did as well as he pounded my body against the ground furthermore. My fingers on his back helped to hug him closer, tigther and tighter. I threw my head back and before any sounds could leave my pouted mouth he quickly captured my lips. He collapsed on me with ease and slowly rolled to my side. Looking up at the night sky he fixed himself. I tugged my pants up and brushed my face off. No words were exchanged as we tried to regain our regular breathing.

I have no idea how long we had stayed out here but I knew we needed to head back. My face had to be flushed so I took a moment to let the cool wind hit me. I picked up his jacket to dust it off not wanting anyone to see the dirt stains. "Here..." he took it and slowly put it on. After what happened, I honestly dont know what I should be feeling. I was too tired to feel much of the worry and shame. Looking up at him once we gathered ourselves, I could not make out what he might be thinking.

"I...Rick, I dont know what to say...I will not say a thing about any of this...we can forget about this if you want"

He turned back to put his hands on his hips and swiped his face to calmly reply, "Olivia...I can never forget about what we just did-"

"Oh..I know...I-"

"And I dont think I want to"

My brows knit with confusion but I took what he said once he flashed me a small smile.

"K...lets get back, the others might be wondering and it's too dangerous"

He nodded in agreement and continued to walk past the trees as I followed behind.

...

So my first post was without the love scene but I went ahead and added one in there because it was VERY WELL needed lol. I could add a bit more but let me know what you think. I hope you enjoyed it :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello readers! So as you know already the first chapter took place in the season 2 finale. This chapter will continue where it left off but I will also include some flashbacks as well. I have not read the comics so whatever I add onto the end here will be my own.**

….

We were approaching the group and my palms began to sweat. Rick and I fixed ourselves up as much as we could to prevent any suspicion. I reminded myself to allow space between us as we walked side by side. My cheeks still burned and I started to think of the right things to say to any questions that could or _will _be asked. A small flicker of light could be seen as we neared the campsite.

"Rick!" Carol said as if to point out our absence.

"Where you guys been?" T-Dog asked.

All eyes were on us and it felt like we were being accused.

"It's my fault really, I went out to just get some time alone with myself…I apologize and Rick came to get me before could find me"

"We can't be goin' out lookin for each other now-"Daryl angrily stated.

"Yes…yes Daryl, I understand that"

Rick had already sat himself by the fire avoiding the faces around it. He really didn't have anything to say nor did he probably feel that the group would want to listen. I couldn't stand any longer, my knees gave out and I found myself sitting cross legged next to T-Dog.

"So this is it then? We just stay here for the night and-"

"Well, where else do you want to go T-Dog? If we keep moving in the dark we might run into all those things…so our best bet would be to stay here until the morning"

I had half expected someone to angrily respond to what I said but no one was in the mood to fight in any way. So with that last word everyone chose a better position to sit or lie for the night but no eyes were closed. The warmth of the fire provided us with the only comfort we could have in the small hideout. I decided to lie on my side in a fetal position. Through my half closed eyes I gazed upon Rick's face. He looked upset from his previous argument with Lori which caused him to sit alone. Carl was against Lori at the opposite end. My mind refused to sleep but my body needed it. I feared the worst but eventually all thoughts vanished and I could no longer see the sparks of the fire.

….

I woke up from where I slept to see that no one was around.

"Hello?" My heart was beating violently as I shuffled across the grounds looking for everyone. Not a single person in sight. The sun was not out just yet so the land was lit in blues. A small amount of fog swept across my feet.

"Helloooooooo? Rick! Carol! T-Dog! Where are you guys?"

No answer, not a sound. Did they leave me behind? Tears fell from my eyes and down my cheeks as I tried to piece together what was happening.

"No no no no this can't be! Hello? Anyone!"

I felt like pounding my fists on the ground. My lungs burned from my rapid breathing and I felt like I was about to faint. I was left all by myself here in the woods. I wiped my face carelessly, eyes swollen.

_Crriiiiiick!_

Hearing a small cracking sound I sunk down in fear of who could be on the other side of the crumbling wall. Slowly I advanced to peek around the corner. From a distance I saw the back of a small child.

"Carl…..Carl?"

Turning to look at me with dark circles under his eyes was sure enough Lori's son. His face was pale and looked to be in a trance.

"Oh…oh god no…please no"

His small feet picking up as he stumbled to where I was. I backed up into the space and began looking for my gun.

"Goddamnit come on where is it…" I scavenged the ground as fast as I could for my gun. Soon I heard multiple snapping sounds on the ground. Looking through a small hole in the wall I could see dozens of walkers heading for me.

"Shit! No please no! come on come on…no no no!"

Falling on the ground on my knees digging at the dirt for where I think I hid my gun, I clawed with my fingers until they bled. Teardrops mixed with the blood in the dirt as I dug and dug for it. No sign of it all. With no weapon, no one around, and my tired body I gave up on trying to. Carl had made it into the campsite. To my side I heard another walk in. More and more slowly neared where I fell.

A hand swatted at my shoulder. Screaming I look to my side and saw the bloodied face of Carol.

"O..Oliv…ia…please…"

Using her other hand she grabbed for my other shoulder. I closed my eyes for the worst to come in hopes that I die soon.

"Olivia…Olivia…wake up!"

Bolting awake I backed away from the voice calling my name.

"Olivia…it's okay was just a bad dream"

I looked at Carol whose face was not bloodied but just normal and very well alive.

"Oh…oh my god thank you…thank you"

Everyone had already gotten up to stretch and figure out their next place to go. Softly I moved to stand up with the help of Carol's hand.

"Everyone is out on the road...come on"

I nodded and shook off last night's terrible nightmare. I made it; we all made it to this morning.

"Before we go Olivia…can I…can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, of course…what do you want to talk about?"

She stepped closer, lips tightly sealed and eyes looking side to side to check for anyone.

"Okay, so last night…I went to get some extra wood for the fire…for the group…and"

She swallowed before continuing. I hope to god what she was about to say had nothing to do with what I think she's going to say.

"And I heard noises…in the woods…"

"Uh…Carol-"

"They were…different so I went through some trees and found you…and Rick…together"

I held my breath thinking about how to respond to that. I thread my fingers through my hair and turned around to find anyone. Rubbing my face, Carol could clearly see my stress.

"Now I won't tell anyone about it…but why? How could you-"

"Carol…I don't how else to say it better…but believe me…ever since the day I helped that man I couldn't separate myself from him…dammit I know he's married and has Carl but we have been through soo much…I have been through so much with him…"

She looked straight on at me to see how I was going to finish.

"I have never met anyone like him and I am blinded…yes I can admit that, but I am not stupid enough to say it is not love what I feel…what happened back there happened and right now I am just not ready to face any drama because of it…"

"Olivia…I know how you feel but…"

"Do you? Look, Lori was screwin Shane because she had little faith that her own husband was alive looking for her…they were times when she doubted him, choosing to believe that THIS-"

I waved my hands around the woods

"THIS IS IT! The end is the end and there is no hope left at all…If you ask me he needs someone whose head isn't off her damn shoulders and could help keep things together…so right now I don't need your judgment".

"Is there a problem?"

Carol and I both turned to Rick who was standing a few feet away.

"No…we were just talking…I'll see you two out there"

With that she walked away from us and to the road.

I was shaking with anger not wanting to look at his face right now. Hearing his footsteps coming closer to where I was I brought myself to face him. Looking back and then at my eyes he whispered "Carol…Carol knows?"

"Yeah…yeah she knows…said she won't tell but I know how this is going to end"

"We can't afford to assume how things are going to happen right now…so let's just keep on going-"

"And do what Rick? Huh! Pretend that shit will turn out nice…I'm so sick of this that maybe you didn't need me to help you at all…why the hell did I have to be there?"

"Stop it! Stop! You think I could have gotten through the city without you…well you're wrong-"

"Yeah? Is that right?"

"Yeah…I'm telling you the truth so take it and let's try to keep living…"

"Oh living? That's what you call it?"

"You think I don't know how Carl would feel? Hell, how Lori would feel…Olivia I have feelings for you that make everything else hard to manage"

"Then why not just drop them all? We CANNOT keep this up"

"Because whether you choose to believe it or not I can't just drop them as easily as you want me to!"

I had no words to say after that. I wiped my face from the tears that spilled from being upset. Breathing in, he looked at me directly and calmly said, "Now…we are getting ready to head out so let's go out there with the others".

His shoulders were stiff as he walked and not in the mood to take on anymore complains.

Taking the moment to pull everything together, I walked out into the open to go to our next destination.

…

So that is chapter 2, hope you all enjoyed it. I cannot wait for season 3 to come. Now, with the age Olivia is in her mid-twenties and I am not sure about adding more specifics since it is more enjoyable for the reader to create their own image of the character. I will add that she is not to be taken in as a weak character, keep in mind she went through the obstacles at the hospital, to the neighborhood and so on. Please review if you would like another chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Stepping on to the road, everyone seemed to be ready to leave this spot. Daryl stepped onto his motorcycle with Carol behind. Carl walked over to the truck as well as Lori. My cheeks burned from the anger that was bubbling inside me. I let it go, this was his family who wanted to be close to him so giving him a quick look I passed the truck and headed to ride with T-Dog. Opening the door with a tough grip I slid into the front seat. I knew Rick had shot me a look of disappointment but I refused to acknowledge it.

"You alright?" T-Dog asked.

"Yeah…yeah I'm fine"

Engines roared and our mission to look for a safer place began. The truck was in front of us but I looked out of the side window and stared at the trees as T-Dog stepped on the gas. I hoped that wherever we are going, trouble will be at bay. Hopefully the worst has gone by but it's always hard to say for sure.

I let my head fall back on the headrest and relaxed my body.

…..(flashback)

"s'this your family?"

I held up a small picture frame as he went through his house. He was worried and utterly depressed that his wife and kid was nowhere in sight. After having no luck he turned around and came up slowly behind me to gaze upon the picture I held in my hands.

"Yes…"

"They're beautiful…my family is gone and there's no one left in my life...but I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to help you find yours"

I hugged him tightly understanding every feeling. Saying in almost a whisper, "I'm very sorry for your-"

I waved a hand at him and picked up my backpack. "No, don't worry about it…thousands of tears have already been shed…I'm done crying, let's just go find them…Rick".

…..(end of flashback)

"So…how are you holding up there?"

I shook out of my daydreaming to look at the driver.

"Huh…oh, well about as cheery as everyone is"

T-Dog chuckled at my answer as he kept his eyes ahead.

"yeah same here…things could get better ya know"

"sh'yeah…could get better"

"With Shane gone I'm just a bit worried bout Rick…how bout you"

Stretching to sit up I replied, "I feel like there's nothing to worry about".

I could see his smirk from the corner of my eye.

"You two have been through a lot…"

"Yes?"

"nevermind" he said fairly quick changing the subject to the weather.

Now I am not sure if he knew just as much as Carol does about Rick and I but I was in no mood at all to answer any more 'curious' questions.

Looking down at my dirt covered shoes and faded jeans I wished for clean clothes. Thinking about It I was reminded of my old backpack…my lucky sac.

….(flashback)

"Hide! Under the cars!"

The horde of the undead was heading closer and closer to us in the mess of automobiles that littered the highway.

I crouched down to slide my small backpack under a truck and crawled under to lie next to it.

Rotten feet shuffled passed the cars we hid underneath. It was the scariest moment by far to know that one fallen dead could give us away at any given second. Once the majority of the walkers had gone by I noticed Sophia run out.

"goddamn it Sophia" I was completely stiff from shock and noticed Rick go after her.

I pulled out my largest knife and swung the sac around to follow behind him. I looked back to make sure we didn't attract more attention.

Running through the woods I pushed myself harder to catch up. A walker had surprised me by jumping right out. Taking my hunting knife I rammed it into its forehead turning away to avoid the blood. Once it stopped struggling it fell straight to the ground with a heavy thud.

The path in front of me was clear until I felt a tug at my backpack; a walker sinking its rotten teeth into it. I kicked it hard in the stomach; once it stumbled over I stabbed it the same way.

Continuing to find Rick I called for him and before I knew it I noticed him come from behind a tree and smash at a walker that must have been right on his trail. I was in shock to see him go at it in such a primal way. This wasn't the regular man I came to know…no his adrenaline rush had turned him into something much more different.

I stared in shock and finally found myself able to ask, "Sophia?"

Gasping from his killing he was able to get out, "hiding…I showed her a place to hide"

"okay…"

"You alright?"

I pulled my sac to the side to say, "lucky day…lucky sac"

….(end of flashback)

The car had come to a stop as did everyone else. Looking ahead of us was a very small town; A gas station along with a few small stores. T-Dog and I had gotten out of the car to converse with the others about what to do next.

Walking up to the truck, Rick and Hershel got out. Soon everyone was out and huddled into a group.

"I know this town, it's not much but the stores here have some things we'll need and a friend of mine lives around here…we could use a place to stay"

Judging by the tone of Hershel's voice I'd say whoever this friend of his is already dead.

"Alright, I say we go into town first and then come back for the rest to follow", suggested Rick.

"I agree, too many of us at once could attract those things", I added.

They turned to me and nodded in agreement.

"So who goes exactly?" Glenn asked.

"Hershel and I will go by truck…" Rick answered.

No one else had anything to counter their plan so within minutes they climbed back in with the exception of his wife and son. The truck then sped off into the town ahead of us.

"Was a friend of ours who lives around here…not sure he's even alive anymore...but his house is big enough to fit all of us" Maggie had explained to the rest of us.

"Is just like our house", she added that with deep sorrow noticeable in her tone.

Looking at the truck that already entered the town I hoped everything would go well.

"I don't know about you but I could use a better resting place then a car seat" T-Dog managed to throw out a bit of humor which got me chuckling just a bit.

"You, I, and the whole damn bunch" I turned to sit back into the car and await Rick and Hershel to come back with what will hopefully be good news.


	4. Chapter 4

**So thanks to those who are keeping up with this story I really appreciate it. Anyway, there will be more flashbacks and more scenes that you will love. Enjoy. **

…

Everyone was lounging on the road, waiting for the two to get back. I was lying in the car with my arm hanging out the window. Looking at my watch it was already 6:00 p.m. and the sky was getting darker.

_Come on guys…._

"Hey look!"

Maggie pointed to the truck coming our way from the town. I squinted to make sure if they weren't being followed. Lori looked in a hurry to up and leave this spot.

Once they reached us and stopped, Hershel and Rick got out to give us the news.

"The town seems pretty empty…seems like most of the things had left when we were at the farm…" Hershel said.

"What 'bout your friends place?" Daryl asked.

"It's good…there is enough space for all of us…it's just like our farm house"

"We will go straight to the house and once we have settled there the next day we can go out looking for supplies" Rick informed us.

"Alright, seems like a good plan" Glenn said while hugging Maggie.

"Is there enough food there?" Lori asked.

"There is, not a whole lot but it will supply us for at least a couple days" Hershel answered.

It was THE plan so all of us took what was said and got ready to head into this new town and new home.

…..

The house was separated from the town so there was a good amount of space created by the field. It's similar in appearance to Hershel's farm but with the exception of the small barn houses that he had. He was right about the size…it had a lot of nice space for all of us; if not more. We all felt a bit of comfort by having another roof above our heads but how long was this going to last?

"And here we go" parking the car in the front, T-Dog wiped his forehead and looked at the others.

"There will be no camping outside…everyone comes in" Hershel spoke out.

With that said we all began to walk up the porch steps and into the house.

The foyer was much larger than the other place. There weren't a whole lot of decorations that filled it either. An old clock stood beside the old staircase as well as a few family photos on a glass table.

The floor creaked beneath our feet as we walked across.

"Now to pick the rooms" I said.

"Yes…well Rick…you and your wife can take the main bedroom upstairs…" Hershel started

"Oh uh Maggie and I can…can share a room" Glenn blurred out.

Her father didn't think much about it and just nodded.

"Alright…the rest of the rooms are smaller but they fit two people much better than three…Carol can you share with Beth?" Hershel looked over at Carol.

"Oh that's fine" she gave Beth a warm smile.

"Carl you can share a room with Olivia" Rick told his son. Carl didn't say anything only smiled a bit.

"Good…there are also a few small rooms down here so the rest of you can pick whichever one you would like"

"Out of respect, I wouldn't mind taking the couch you need one of the rooms down here for yourself"

T-Dog kindly stated.

"We can alternate" Hershel smiled.

"and I don' mind takin' the attic" Daryl let out.

…..

Getting situated felt so relaxing after all the chaos back at the other house. It was nice to have our feet planted for a while and the comfort of windows and walls all around our bodies.

The room I shared with Carl had two twin beds. There's one window at the side of my bed and a small cabinet in between the beds.

Leaning over to take my shoes off I let out a long breath. My back was hurting like hell and I couldn't wait to take a shower. A bath…the thought of it made me smile; it felt like so long since I've taken one.

Carol came into the room unexpectedly.

"Daryl found some clothes in the attic…and I found some in the rooms…they're nice and clean so I'm passing some out to everyone"

Looking up at her I gave her a soft smile and took what she handed to me.

"They will feel great after a nice shower…"

Taking the small stack of clothes I set them to the side. Before she turned to walk out she bit her lip and then faced me.

"Look…in the woods, I didn't mean to judge…you searched for my daughter that day when she ran…you're a kind woman and I would never do anything to…hurt you" She hugged her arms to her chest and gave me a hopeful look.

"Carol…it's alright…and thank you so much"

She looked up as if trying to fight back some tears and left. There are two bathrooms in the whole house, both having showers.

One for the women and the other for the men.

Getting up from the bed I took an oversized t-shirt and surprisingly a basic white pair of women's briefs from the clothes pile.

"Olivia…I'm done with the bathroom so if you'd like…"

"Thanks Maggie"

Stepping onto the wet floor tiles in the bathroom I shed the dirty clothes I had and put them into the large basket against the wall. Observing myself in the mirror, my face was shiny from sweat and filled with marks of dirt. Bottles of soap were lined up on the shelf above the toilet. Taking one I got into the shower and turned the water on. Placing both hands in front to push against the shower wall I let the cool water run down my bare shoulders and soak my hair. It felt so amazing. Dirt dripped down the drain as I began to rub myself clean for the first time in a long time.

Once all the soap was washed off good enough, I turned the knob and the water stopped. Reaching out for a small towel I shook my hair dry and dried off the rest of my body.

…..

Pulling my hair up into a messy ponytail I yawned pulled the sheets down. Taking off my watch, I placed it on the bedside table. Its 10:00 pm and Carl looked like he was knocked out good in the bed next to me. His father's hat lied on the floor. Picking it up I stared at it thinking about the first time I saw his father wear it.

Placing it back where it was, I pushed my feet under the blankets and lied my head down.

…

In a dark field filled with fog I walked barefoot on the grass squinting at the form in front of me. Reaching it, it suddenly disappeared.

"Olivia…."

Whispers all around me and I turned to yell out who. I could see Hershel's farm in the distance and suddenly felt a wave of cold sweat.

"Who's there?"

"Ollliiiiiviiiiaa"

Turning around no one was there.

I started running through the field to reach the house. Running up the steps I yelled. I was alone… I knelt down against the steps. Suddenly I felt a presence behind me.

"O-Oliv-ia"

Turning my head around very very slowly I found a horribly disfigured and gutted Dale looking straight at me.

"Dale…?"

He let out a gurgled yell as he leaped forward to bite at my neck

…

Gasping from another terrible night's dream I was sitting up sweating like hell. Carl was still fast asleep. Nothing could be heard except for a few footsteps downstairs as well as in the attic.

Getting up I went into the hallway to see what all the noise was. The ladder to the attic was down and the light up there was still on indicating that Daryl is still up and on watch. I was still sweating from the nightmare and had to get a drink of water or anything for that matter. Carefully placing my feet on the steps to go down I rubbed the railing as I went. Looking both ways no lights were on downstairs. It's better that way. Making my way slowly to the kitchen I found Rick leaning over the kitchen sink looking out the small window. "Not much of a deep sleeper are ya Rick?"

He turned around stunned to see me there in the kitchen at this time of the night. Opening the fridge I pulled out a bottle of water.

"No…I can't help but feel like this could all change in a second before the morning"

"Yeah well there's an hour left before the morning so I say things are going pretty well…for now"

He smirked at that comment and sat himself down at the table. Placing my bottle on the table I sat next to him.

"Bad dreams?"

I shook my head and said, "Yeah…this time with Dale…he had turned…"

Wiping my face from lack of sleep he gave me a concerned look. "Try to get better sleep Olivia…can't have you falling asleep during the day"

I pulled my head up to meet his gaze and smiled gently.

"I can say the same…Deputy"

He smiled from the humor of it.

"I forgot what that sounded like…thanks"

"Ah well thought you needed some reminding…you still are to tell you the truth…probably the only good one left"

"Thank you..."

"No problem…well seems like Daryl is keeping watch over for a while longer…I might not be able to get in a few extra hours of sleep but I will try…goodnight Rick"

Before I could get up…I leaned over to him as fast as I could in the tired state I was in, to kiss him gently on the lips.

He wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me onto his lap. As we kissed, I rubbed my hands along his chin and cheeks. The kissing was not as rough and needy as the one in the woods but it was still passionate and very much wanted.

There was nothing in the kitchen to be heard except for the soft intakes of air we took. It felt like a long time before we stopped. He broke apart to give sweet kisses along my neck. Gripping his shoulders I moved against his lap. Hearing him take in a sharp breath I stopped to look around.

"Rick...as much as I want to…we can't…not now"

He didn't fight it only agreed and let me slide off of him. I didn't have to look down to see that he was a bit frustrated; he wiped his face and got up from the chair.

"Goodnight Olivia…"

"Night…" with that I quickly went across the foyer and up to my room.

….

**So that's about as much as I can type out at 12 am. Let me know if I left out anyone…it was hard to remember who was left at the end. Anyway, more will happen between the two so don't worry **


	5. Chapter 5

Sunlight beamed through the glass window and onto my face as I lied in the small bed. Pushing back the sheets I rubbed my forehead and sat up on the edge. Carl was gone from his bed and the clattering of dishes could be heard downstairs. Everyone must be having breakfast already. To be honest I only got in a few hours of decent sleep so my body felt a bit unrested.

After a good stretch I headed to the bathroom to wash up.

…

In the kitchen, Carol was making pancakes while Lori was washing some of the glass cups for everyone. The smell of homemade pancakes invaded my senses and took me back to the times when my mother used to make them for my brother and me. Rick reached over to the cabinet close to Lori to take out some porcelain plates.

"Morning Olivia" Carol turned to me.

"Morning Carol…morning everyone"

It seemed like everyone had at least gotten a few hours of good rest. T-Dog was sitting on one of the living room chairs along with Daryl. Glenn was leaning against a wall rubbing his face.

"I hope everyone got some rest" Hershel entered the room.

We all gave an 'uh-huh' and 'yes' as an answer.

"It's been a long time since I've made pancakes so I hope they're any good" Carol served them onto the plates and placed them onto the table for each of us to take. Amazingly enough there was even syrup to add. Best morning by far.

We said our thank you's as we took a plate and settled on a spot to eat it. The table could fit at least 6 people. Maggie and Glenn took a seat as well as Carl and Beth. T-Dog got up from the sofa chair to have a seat.

Looking at the only place left at the table everyone motioned for me to take it.

"So what's the plan for today…we need to go out for supplies and I don't mind helping" I started.

"Yes, a few of us can make the trip before noon and I will go as well…I'm most familiar with the stores 'round here and I know what we will need for the time which we will be spending here"

"Alright Hershel…I'll go too" Rick stated.

"I don' mind either" Daryl put out as he sat a few feet away.

"I'll go…" Glenn began to say.

"S'alright Glenn…we don't need too many…we can't have everyone going out there its best if only a few went" Hershel calmly said.

Maggie put her hand on top of Glenn's and gave it a squeeze to say that she admired his participation.

"Carol these came out good…thank you"

As she leaned against the counter she smiled and muttered "You're welcome".

…

Holding the only gun I had in my hand I waited for Rick, Hershel and Daryl to meet at the entrance. Daryl walked through the hall to stand by the door where I was. With his favorite crossbow slumped over his shoulder he looked at me.

"S'all you got witcha?"

Looking down to the small gun I smirked.

"Well yeah, I don't have anything else…guess I'm in need of an upgrade huh"

He gave me what appeared to be a small smile. I knew exactly what he was trying to imply about my weapon.

"May not be a crossbow Daryl but it'll do in case of emergency".

Before he could say anything Hershel and Rick finally met up with us.

"Now I found these in the basement…we're gonna need them once we get into town".

Hershel held in his hand a heavy duty tote and two backpacks. Keeping one for himself, he gave a backpack to me and Rick.

"Alright now let's go"

Opening the backdoor of the truck I jumped in. Placing the gun on my lap as I strapped myself in I heard the car door across from me open as Daryl slid in next to me.

"So where to first once we get into town? Are we splitting?"

"No…it would be better to go with someone" Hershel responded

"We better go in twos at least…will serve us better to get things done fast" Daryl said

"Alright…Daryl you go with Hershel to collect some food from the grocery store…Olivia and I can go and look for medical supplies and anything else"

Of course the only reason why he put Daryl with Hershel is because he had stuck by me so many times before all of this. We were a natural pair in going out to get things done.

It was exactly 12:00 pm and I sat in my seat looking out the window hoping that we would be back in at least an hour; which is a difficult thing to ask for.

"Now when we went through the town yesterday we did not see any walkers…but that can change…" Hershel reminded all of us.

…

We parked alongside what appeared to be a small grocery store. From outside you can see through the dirty window that the place still had a lot to offer. For terrible times it was odd that the store wasn't completely empty. Looking down the street, several small shops aligned the way.

"Alright…Daryl and I will begin here, there's a pharmacy store right across...you and Olivia can start there" Hershel told us pointing across the street.

Daryl readied his crossbow in case of any surprises and opened the door to the grocery store. Hershel took his empty bag from the truck.

"If anything happens we meet back here immediately…"

Connecting eyes in agreement, Daryl leaned from the door, "Right, let's get this done quick 'fore anythin' does happen".

Rick and I turned from the two and headed across the street. Rick went in first to check before I could pass the doorway. Before I could follow him any further I paused to look outside and around. The street was clear as nothing could be heard except for our own footsteps. All the lights were off in the store which is another reason why we all chose to go during the day. It was comfortable to manage our way through without a flashlight. There were several rows filled with medical necessities and swinging my backpack around I slid the fastenings open to begin filling it.

First section I came across was first aid equipment. _A necessity indeed. _There were large boxes filled with a variety of gauze and bandages. Picking a few I toss them into the bag and proceeded to the next area.

"Tylenol…Advil…you're going in" tossing a few boxes into my bag I reached the end of the isle and turned to the next. The beginning of the next isle contained feminine care products which all of us women needed badly if we expect to live comfortably in our temporary home. Rick's bag was filling up pretty quickly as he bent down to examine the products on the shelves. With his back facing me I turned to find myself directly in front of condom brands.

_Well…can never forget those in these times right?_

All boxes offered something new and were colored different to attract attention. Grabbing each without discriminating I put them into the bag as well. It was of course hard to just finish and go when there were other intimate products close by that are just as important. Now even though Rick and I have already had sex I still couldn't help feel a bit silly standing close to this section reading to myself. Suddenly a hand caught my shoulder and I jumped at the invasion. The box in my hand dropped to the ground as I looked up at Rick's face.

"I'm gonna go behind the counter…"

"Yeah…yeah I'll go with you I was just uh…just loading up on some of the stuff here…"

Picking up the box that I dropped he looked at it and smirked. I was blushing madly and took the box from his hand.

"Well…don't blame ya…those are important but you can't stay here too long" His eyes gleamed at mine and it felt like we were looking at each other for a while before I cleaned my throat.

"Right…well then…Ill finish this aisle and meet up with ya…"

Nodding, he then turned to walk towards the counter.

"Rick…" biting my lip, I called out to him.

He stopped to look at me.

"Nevermind…"

He continued and I moved down the aisle to finish up. My bag was already pretty heavy but there was still enough room to toss a few more things into it. Rushing over to where Rick was, I passed him to get some pharmaceuticals.

"Well I think I got enough from here…you wanna get anything else?"

Looking at what I stocked up on a thought crossed my mind.

"Yeah"

Leaving the back area I went over to where all the soap and bath materials lie.

"Don't wanna forget soap… it is a necessity as well as a luxury" Smiling, I held up a package of Dove soap at Rick.

"Well then guess I'm gonna have to get some too" Reaching for some men's soap and body wash he added it to his collection.

"I think we did pretty good…most of what we need is in our bags and regardless of how many people are in that house this should all last for a while"

While closing his bag up he moved to the front entrance to look across the street. Hershel and Daryl had not exited the grocery store just yet.

"They should be getting out soon…but let's go back to the truck"

"Sure…wanna checkout first?"

"Yeah…think we have 10 items or less?"

We smiled at each other, glad that we still have our own humor. Pushing the door open, we left the store and walked across the street to the truck. Before getting settled, we looked all around us for safety. I squinted as I looked further down the street. I couldn't believe how vacant the town is. Not a single walker to be seen or heard. It still felt eerie, like we can only expect the worse. It was like those old western towns with dust flying and the whispering sound of the wind.

Looking down at my watch, it was already 2:30.

Placing our bags in the backseat, we waited for Daryl and Hershel to come out. Rick slid into the driver's seat and looked to the side to watch. Minutes went by and finally the two emerged. Daryl carried a few plastic bags with cans and bottles of drinks and Hershel's tote bag was extremely large in width. In his other hand were a few plastic bags with lightweight goods.

"I'm amazed that you guys were able to find so much" I said while taking the bags from each and placing them next to my feet.

"Same" Hershel responded while getting into the front seat. I closed my door and heard Daryl getting in at the other side.

"There's still a decent amount of food back at the house…we can make another short trip back here when needed"

After hearing Hershel I imagined that the next time won't be so easy, maybe those things will be around the stores.

"And when we _really_ have to…the most of the walkers met up with us back at your farm…I only hope that it doesn't happen again".

They all sensed my fear and anxiety.

"Same here but let's just focus on going back" Rick said as he stepped on the gas.

I was relieved to watch us all leave the town and return to the only place that feels secure. Going through dirt roads in between a small forest of skinny trees we finally begin to see farmland. It takes a few more winding turns and downward hills to get to the hidden farmhouse. The location serves us well since it's not too visible in the distance.

"Home sweet home" I said, picking up the bags from the ground.

Once the truck was parked I opened the door to plant my feet firmly on the grass. Glenn, T-Dog and Maggie walked down from the porch to help us with the bags.

Maggie's face was filled with surprise to see everything we brought.

"My god I can't believe you were able to get this much"

"You and I both and look…rose scented soap for us girls" flipping a box of soap to Maggie she caught and smirked.

"Any for me?" Glenn joked.

"Hey you ask Rick…I was able to convince him to get some for the guys".

Maggie took some of the plastic bags her father held and went in. I followed her into the house and set the heavy backpack on the ground next to the door.

"Well looks like you guys got a lot…thank you" Lori said walking over to my bag to place it on one of the chairs.

"Yup…so I got a lot of bathroom products…got some shampoo, conditioner, soap, razors, the rest you'll have to check it out"

"Sure…I'm just gonna take it all out to sort it"

Carol came through the hallway, arms crossed to gaze at some of the stuff Lori was taking out.

"All this…it's great that you managed to find so much"

I began to realize how close Lori must be getting to finding the condom boxes and without thinking I just got closer and said, "know what…I'll just take all this upstairs…don't worry about sorting it here Daryl and Hershel are coming in with groceries"

Stopping from picking out more Lori looked up. "Okay, sure no problem…"

She turned to the doorway to assist with the groceries once Daryl and Hershel stepped in.

Piling up the uncovered items in my hands I dumped them back into my bag and went straight upstairs to put them all away.

I shuffled over to our bathroom, out of breath and just so damn tired. Sitting myself down on the white tiled floor, I opened up the bottom cabinet to begin organizing. I chose to leave the allergy, cold/flu medications for a much more convenient place where we could access without going into either bathroom. For now, boxes of soap were stacked together. Specific creams had their own little box. Tooth brushes and teeth materials also had their own basket. The cabinet is fairly large enough to fit everything I brought with me. It took a while to put most of what I had away.

"How are you doin' Olivia?"

"Oh hey Maggie…yeah I am almost done…taking me a lot longer than expected"

She slowly walked in to sit herself down on the toilet to look at the remainder of items left in my bag.

"Guess you read my mind…"

"Huh?" following her gaze to the backpack I let out a light laugh.

Picking out a condom box she looked at it before looking at me.

"Well unless you'd rather stick to kissing Glenn…"

Laughing she threw the box back into the bag.

"Yeah I know…we haven't after the store…"

"You are welcome" I smiled while continuing to put the rest away.

"Here I'll put those in the shower"

Maggie took the shampoo and conditioner bottles into the shower.

"We'll probably be having dinner 'round 5 or 6 so if you wanna wash up or change"

"Yes…sounds good"

With that Maggie left and I went back to my room to pick out something new to wear. In the pile Carol gave me this morning, I found a small spaghetti strap dress. It was red with tiny flowers. The nicest dress I have seen this far. I threw it over my arm and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower.

….

Fixing my hair up into a messy bun, I smoothed out the dress. It touched above my knees and felt so comfortable. The combination of clean and comfort gave me a very satisfied feeling.

_Knock knock knock_

"Who is it?"

"Just wanted to hand you some things that belong in there"

The voice belonged to Rick. Turning to the door I unlocked it to reveal him standing there.

"You look beautiful" He whispered as he gave me a few things. His face looked smooth from shaving. The smell of his aftershave came to me in a wave and I closed my eyes.

"Thanks…and you smell good…see, if it weren't for my soap you might not have gotten any"

Smirking from my comment he backed into the hallway.

"You're right Olivia"

"Anyway, thank you I will put these away".

I couldn't help but stare as he walked away. He smelled so good that it made me want to have him closer. Cancelling all thoughts I finished up and left the room for dinner.

….

**So this chapter took a while and doesn't include exciting scenes but don't worry it will get better. **


	6. Chapter 6

Taking the large pot off the gas stovetop, Lori poured the water out and the spaghetti fell into the strainer. Carol was placing the cups and plates onto the table as everyone made their way around to the kitchen. Having dinner in this house, together, felt wonderful. To me it was a much better way for all of us to get along better…for the first time in a very long time everyone felt like family.

"Hey Olivia…have a seat, Hershel is bringing some chairs from the garage…" Lori said while focusing on serving.

"Alright" sitting down I looked around to see who was sitting where. With all the chairs Hershel was bringing in it seems like we will all be able to talk to each other better. It only took a few minutes for everyone to pick a place at the table with food right under their chins. The aroma of fresh tomato sauce filled the space up.

"So who made the sauce?" T-Dog asked.

"Well you can thank the same woman who served you pancakes yesterday morning" Lori said after handing out napkins. We looked over to Carol who had just put the sauce pot into the sink and strolled towards the table.

"Thank you Carol" Rick had so politely said.

We all thanked her before diving into the food. A table which only seats six now has much more company all around. It was much easier to talk to everyone without having to shout.

"It's getting dark so let me light some of the candles…where is the match box?" Carol got up to look around the kitchen.

"It should be in the small drawer closest to the fridge" Lori pointed out.

Since this house belongs to no one in the group, it made us very conscious about the entire area. Hershel knew his farm so he was of course much more familiar with it. But after going through what we did…we just stuck to floodlights and candles. It was a way to keep the house from lighting up like a Christmas show when it gets darker outside. The candles that were placed in the kitchen lit up the room well enough that it created an atmosphere similar to an expensive restaurant.

"Well…to break the silence here, I must ask…" I began while twirling my fork in the spaghetti.

Everyone looked over.

"Has anyone found any wine because I think we all deserve a little something dontcha think?"

With everyone laughing, Hershel was the first to answer.

"Olivia you are in luck...there are some old wine bottles that I found in the basement earlier" getting up to go to the other room to retrieve the bottles I raised my hands in the air to mimic a winner's.

Glenn reached over to hand five mine.

Coming back into the room, Hershel was carrying a couple of bottles that seemed to be aged for a good amount of time.

"Thank you so much Hershel…now I will get us all some glasses"

Daryl took one of the bottles to look it over while Carol took the other. One of the cabinets was filled with wine glasses.

"Well whoever these people were…they sure loved the luxury of good wine" T-Dog said looking at a bottle being passed down.

"Oh no kidding…look at this shelf it's filled with glasses!" Handing one over to each and every person at the table.

"Spaghetti's great but this wine sure looks better" Daryl said as he peeled the foil off one of the bottles.

"Oh Daryl catch…you're gonna need the opener" I said tossing him the device.

Giving me a smirk his right hand snapped up into the air to catch it. Glenn clapped his hands.

"Very good Daryl…we all know you have some mad skills" I smirked back at him.

"Oh that's right" he got out after finally opening the bottle. We left the other two that were brought in alone as we decided to try out this one.

Holding my glass up I stood up straighter to say, "How about a toast…to a group of hardcore survivors"

Everyone did their best to reach in and tap glasses. "To delicious wine that will hopefully not get each and every one of us drunk" Glenn let out.

Following the laughter, "To delicious wine that will _hopefully_ get us drunk…hey it's good for the sleep" T-Dog joked.

"Oh no…my father is going to limit how much he drinks" Maggie said looking at her father with a smirk.

"And I will…just one glass s'all" Hershel replied.

Hours passed by as we talked and talked about the things we liked before the disaster. Everyone avoided discussing their losses and remained somewhat cheerful in the moment. It was officially nighttime outside and the candles illuminated our faces as we sat in the kitchen. Carl had his head on his arms.

"Carl…hey…Carl"

His sleepy gaze looked up as I got his attention.

"Carl go to bed honey…" Lori told him from across the table.

Carl got up without arguing and went over to hug his mother and father before going upstairs.

"Poor thing…he looked tired earlier" Carol said looking down at her glass.

"Yeah…well I can slowly start to feel the same…I'm gonna head up to bed too"

Lori took her dishes to the sink and then offered to take everyone else's.

"Lori don't worry about it, I'll clean up…you just get some sleep" I softly told her.

"Okay, thanks Olivia…alright goodnight everyone".

Heading over to her husband she grabbed at his shoulder, "don't you stay up too late".

Grabbing her hand, Rick nodded his head and let her retreat to the bedroom upstairs.

Hershel was the next person to leave the room following T-Dog and Beth. Soon, it was just Daryl, Rick, Maggie, Glenn, Carol and I who remained at the table.

"Well I have to say this is the best night we've all had so far" I looked at everyone while leaning back in the chair.

"I will have to agree with you there…feels comfortable to finally rest…we have hope again" Carol looked over with tired eyes. We all had our share of wine but only enough to tire our bodies.

"And that's exactly what we all need…hope"

I stared over at Rick from across the table. He had his arms crossed looking over at Carol then at me. I'm not sure if it's the wine but my face started to flush at his gaze. The candlelight made his skin glow and he didn't at all seem to be as tired.

"Well looks like I'm the next one to give in here…I'm going to bed…thanks Olivia" Glenn told me as he left his plate and glass cup over by the sink.

Soon, only Carol and Rick were left to help tidy the kitchen area. I quickly washed the dishes as rick didn't mind drying them. Carol wiped the table of crumbs and wine spots.

"Thank you Carol…we're almost done with the dishes and that will be it so you can go ahead and sleep you look tired"

I hugged her goodnight and she slowly stepped out of the kitchen.

"She really is one of the sweetest women around" I said while rinsing the last of the glasses.

"And you are one of those women too" Rick turned his head to look at me while drying some of the forks.

Having his body close to me made me start to forget what I was doing, adding soap to a cup already washed.

"Well. I have my days, that's all I can say"

"As we all do…"

"sh'yeah…thank you for staying by the way"

He didn't say anything only smiling.

"Oh I remember one of them saying that there are more candles downstairs…there aren't many upstairs so I need to get a few…don't worry about putting those away-"

"No no it's alright I'll do it" he cut in.

Lighting a small candle to take with me, I turned into the hallway and walked over to the grungy door which led to the basement. Luckily, Hershel had already came down here so I don't have to fear about the previous owners jumping out. The stairs are unfinished, cracking as I stepped down into the fairly large space. There were shelving units containing boxes of tools. Two old washing machines stood against the wall next to a wooden table to stack the clothes on. I turned around to find a couple of other tables holding boxes. Looking into them I heard a crack behind me.

Letting out a sharp gasp my candlelight revealed Rick's face.

"Jesus Olivia" Rick chuckled

"Oh I can say the same…shit you scared me…what are you doing down here?"

"Well I stayed to help out with dishes figured I'd come down here to help with anything and to see what's down here" Walking over to a corner he began to look into some cabinets.

"Uh huh well…I finally found what I was looking for" holding up a small box filled with candlesticks and jar candles.

Walking back over to me he looked down into the box and then at me. I looked up at him with a sort of desperation as my stomach felt like it was in a knot. My breathing increased as he pushed back my hand to set the candle on top of the table where I found the box. The table was soon bumped against the curve of my back as I set down the box of candles. I tried to resist the situation but I couldn't. His eyes still gazed at mine in the dim lighting. His blue orbs lit up well enough to see his large pupils.

"Something different about you tonight…back at the kitchen…"

"Rick…" I whispered.

"You're just hard to let go…I…I can't let go"

Stepping closer to my body, our breaths were in a whisper. The door was shut upstairs and the only thing we were able to hear was the sound of our breaths and our own heartbeats. Placing both hands on the table behind me, Rick leaned in to kiss me softly. It lasted for a few seconds before I pulled back feeling my lips become fuller. He looked like he had no strength to leave this either and dived back in to fully twist his lips into mine. His hands came to grip my backside to set me on the table. I breathed in deep as I felt his hands against me. My skin was super sensitive to all the touches I received. Reaching up to his face, I slid my hands to his hair. Massaging his scalp as our kisses became faster and much needier, small breathy moans escaped from him. The table wasn't wide enough for me to lie back on so I braced myself using one hand while the other continued to grip his shoulder. It came natural, for my legs to wrap around his waist. Candlelight revealed glazed eyes, which only served to push us on. Rubbing my lower back he pushed himself against me. My head fell back as I let out a gasp. Not knowing how thick or thin the walls are, I contained all words. His lips fell right back on top of mine to silent all sounds. The sucking noises of our tongues and lips was too much to bare I needed to feel much more. Pushing up against him I could feel his excitement. Opening my eyes I looked into his and could see the lust that overcame us. While our lips remained connected, he slowly reached down to unbuckle himself. Trying hard to control my sharp gasps I set my hands on his chest.

"Rick…wait…"

Stopping from fully unzipping his pants he looked up with concern

"I…I need to get something…we can't…"

Realizing what I needed I promised him that I would make the trip fast without capturing attention. I jumped off the table turning to go up the stairs.

…

**Hahahah and it stops here. Next chapter will continue their passionate get-together in the basement. Note: someone is going to question Olivia. **


	7. Chapter 7

I tried my best to keep from panting so hard to get to the top of the stairs. One more flight until I reached the second level. Finally, I was there and noticed the light from the attic. I knew Daryl was going to be up but I blocked out everything just to go straight to the bathroom. A large jar candle was placed on the sink counter. On the shelf above the toilet was a small flashlight which I used to look inside the cabinets. Spotting the box of colored packages I reached over to grab one and slip it in the front of the dress.

"Olivia…?"

I was completely caught off guard and my body twirled around dropping the small flashlight to the ground.

"Oh I'm so sorry…" Maggie chuckled as she held a hand to her chest.

"But uh what ya need?" she asked me with a concern.

"Oh…um…just came up to get some cream…what are…what are you doing here?" I was trying my best to keep my cool.

"Well since you ask, I need to use the bathroom…I mean it's pretty late…"

"Oh… ok well yeah I'm going to change soon and go to bed…was just finishing up downstairs…"

She continued to stare at me, taking in my words and no doubt my appearance.

"Alright…you okay? You don't look so good…"

With what happened in the basement and running up the stairs I knew that my hair had to be messy and face glowing with a thin layer of sweat.

"Yeah…just ran up the steps…anyway I don't want to keep you waiting so I will leave"

Crouching down to pick up the light I went around to pass her until the package slipped down and out of the dress.

_Click!_

She heard the sound too as she turned around to reach for what dropped out of courtesy. My heart was beating faster than the time Carol found out about Rick and I. A cold rush went through my body and I swear my eyes got larger. My muscles tensed as we were both on the ground, both hands on top of the black package. It was directly under her hand and slowly pulling towards her to pick it up she got a better view of what it was. Looking utterly surprised, she handed it to me and got up slowly to face me.

"Olivia…who…?"

"I came to get it for Glenn…said he wanted one close by and didn't know where to find them…"

"Glenn still has some of his own…and he knows where they are coz I already told him…so who then? Is it…Daryl?" she whispered his name.

I knew that it could be easy to just say Daryl…but it was a lie that I just wouldn't know how to keep up.

Sighing I fingered my hair across my scalp and let out a long breath.

"He uh…he doesn't like for people to know we are together…"

Almost letting out a laugh, Maggie smiled and then bit her lips to nod.

"Oh ok…yeah…but when did you guys get together…I mean he doesn't look like the lovin' type"

Relieved to slide around the worst…I felt embarrassed to admit to something that would never happen.

"Oh he is, just to me though…but please don't say anything when we're all together…"

"Oh no don't worry, I won't say a thing" she waved her hands in front to show her honesty.

"K…thanks well…I need to finish up a few things before I get to bed…goodnight Maggie"

I left the room, flashing no smile her way. I was completely frustrated.

Holding onto the railing as I went down the steps, I played over in my mind the lie I had just told. Reaching the bottom I ran into someone.

I gasped out of fright and pushed against the person's chest.

"Christ Olivia!"

It was Daryl who must've turned around the corner to go up.

I was sitting on the steps after falling back.

"Shit…Daryl you scared the hell outta me…" I fought to control my breathing.

"Could say the damn same girl, the hell ya doin' at this time?"

Crushing the package in the palm of my hand tighter I set the small flashlight on the step I was on and looked up at him.

"Went to the bathroom…just finishing up down here…what about you huh?"

With a smirk set on his face he tapped his crossbow against his shoulder.

"Ma crossbow…left it down here"

After giving me a simple answer he offered his hand in front for me to grab hold. Taking it softly he gripped hard to pull me up. Luckily he wasn't looking down at the hand I was trying to hide and I passed him.

"Thanks…night Daryl"

He said nothing as he shook his head and went up the stairs.

Once I approached the basement door I went down it slowly in no rush to get to Rick. He walked over to the staircase to gaze at me. I held my hand up to him showing him what I went up for.

I sighed by the time I got to him and passed him to walk over to the table I lied previously filled with passion for the man close to me.

"So…" he walked over encircling his arms around my waist.

Kissing my neck soft and slowly I turned around.

"So, Maggie caught me…and looks like Daryl and I are a couple" I half said in humor.

He smiled at me, confused with raised brows.

"I…I couldn't bring myself to tell her Rick, I know how she is…"

Placing his hands on my shoulders he whispered, "S'okay…"

Something about his voice calmed me and I laid my head against his chest. His hands rubbed circles on my back and I let out a shaky breath.

I leaned my head backwards as he dived in to kiss my lips. Once our lips were connected, we moved slow, alternating between the top lip and bottom lip. I locked my hands around his neck and savored the moment. Running my fingers through his hair, I pushed his face harder against my own. It took a while to reset the passion we had earlier but eventually the temperature started to rise and we were once again moving fast. I was right back on the table and we wasted no time in continuing where we left off.

….

**That's chapter 7 for you. It is a rather short chapter but don't worry.**

**So Maggie now thinks Olivia is with Daryl. Olivia now has to keep to that lie. Carol is the only one in the group to really know her secret so what will she do once she hears about this lie? And will Daryl hear about this too?**


	8. Chapter 8

"Olivia…"

I heard someone call my name lightly but I could only see darkness and felt my body relax again.

"Olivia…"

I imagined it was still a voice lingering in my head after my dream.

"Hey! Olivia! Get up!"

My eyelids flew open to the loud command and sat up in bed to see Daryl leaning against the doorway.

"Damn! 'bout time you woke up girl"

I brushed back my hair with my fingers and looked around for my watch.

"What time is it?"

"It's already noon so get yer ass up"

"Shit! Did anybody go…what's the plan for today?"

"Well seems like today we aint goin' into town"

"Really?"

He nodded his head slowly.

"So…today we are all gonna stay in and keep calm?"

"Guess so"

I looked out the window and stretched to dangle my legs off the side of the bed. Staying up so late last night took most of my energy so I pushed myself to stand on my feet.

"Never seen you without your crossbow Daryl, this is new"

He smirked and stayed in the same place.

"Thought it just deserved some sleep, s'all"

Now it was my turn to smile and with that he walked away. I continued with the morning ritual and headed over to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I walked into the room only to find Maggie digging into one of the cabinets.

The sight of her made me feel a bit uncomfortable after what happened last night. I cleared my throat and she turned around with a brush in hand.

"Oh, hey Olivia"

She greeted me with a warm smile. My lips turned up slightly to her welcome.

"Afternoon Maggie…slept good?"

"ya know I can honestly say that I did…it was great…how bout you...I mean"

I raised my hand as I saw her stumble on her question. She thought my night included a roll-around with Daryl.

"I uh…I slept good…feel terrible for waking up this late"

"Ah, well no one is going out today…seems like we are all staying here for the day"

"yeah I heard…"

"Yea so I will let you come in here and do your things"

She walked around to leave the bathroom and I shut the door gently. Turning around I looked straight in the mirror. Picking up the toothpaste I squeezed it onto the brush and began scrubbing my teeth clean. Dark circles under my eyes were a giveaway of my sleepless night.

After drying my mouth I went out to grab some clothes and went back in to take a shower.

…

Pulling on a thin, white blouse and dark jeans, I fixed my hair up into a loose ponytail and went downstairs to grab a snack from the kitchen.

I pulled open the cabinet door and looked for anything that I could find. A box of granola bars sat behind a few cans and I stretched my arm hard to try and pull it close. A much larger hand gripped the box and pulled it past mine.

"Well good mornin' Olivia…"

I looked beside me as I saw Rick smiling with the box in hand. He didn't appear to be suffering from sleep loss as much as I did. I reached in the box to pull out a package.

"I know, see I couldn't get much sleep last night so good morning to you too Rick"

"Are you complaining?"

I smiled and felt myself blush a little.

"No, of course not"

I tore the foil open to take a bite at the chocolate chunks that appeared. I closed my eyes to take in the wonderful taste of chocolate. T-Dog walked into the kitchen to deliver the same greeting.

"Hey Olivia, just got up?"

"Okay what is up with this…I got up a bit late and everyone is all over it" I threw my arms up in the air in an amused way.

T-Dog let out a light laugh and replied, "Nah s'okay see I got up around eleven …but you usually get up earlier so it's kind of a shock"

Rick turned to look at me with a smile and turned to relax against the counter with his arms behind his back. T-Dog opened the fridge to grab a can of soda and sat down at the dining table.

"So heard the plan for today was to chill…" T-Dog started.

"Yeah, we got what we needed the other day so it's best if we took the day off from scouting the area"

"Uhuh…yeah we have enough food for a few more days" I said after throwing the foil package away.

"How long do you two think we will be able to just sit and chill here though…no offense" T-Dog asked from where he sat.

"Know anyplace better…I mean we saw most of them back at the farm so they seem to have passed for now…this house is our safest bet thus far"

"She's right…but it wouldn't hurt to become more familiar with the town…there's much more to it than the stores we visited"

Daryl walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the fridge to pull out a beer can. His arm was deep in until he fished it out quickly.

"Afraid we're gonna steal it Daryl?" I teased.

"Nah…afraid some little girl might just throw it away"

I smirked at his comment as he stood up to face me and flash the can. With the flick of his thumb the can opened and he downed the drink in a couple of gulps. Throwing the can into the garbage he turned and left the kitchen with his loud footsteps. When we noticed that he had left completely, I turned to look at T-Dog who was twirling the soda can.

"Don't think it would be a good idea for him to be searching the area…"

T-Dog shook from his trance and had an amused expression.

"Whatcha looking at me for? You tell him that"

"If they spot him…they'll just come right back here". Rick put his hand on my shoulder and was going to open his mouth to say something until Lori walked in.

"Rick…hey um…could you help me with something"

"Sure…yeah"

I stared at Lori trying to decipher her question as well as her mood. It seemed like nothing serious, nothing I should be worried about so I watched him leave the kitchen to assist her.

"So…you gonna go talk to em?" T-Dog asked.

"What's the hurry?" I asked almost laughing

"Well someone had mentioned that he could attract a bunch of walkers so uh…I'd say it would be a good idea to tell him now"

I gave up as I threw my hands in the air and smiled.

"Alright T-Dog I will go and talk to the Beer man now…how's that?"

He laughed as he got up to finish the last of his drink before saying, "Sounds wonderful"

I left the kitchen to look around the floor for Daryl.

Hershel passed me as he went straight for the basement door.

"Hey, Hershel you know where Daryl might be?"

"He aint outside if that's what you're wondering, so I'm sure he's in the attic"

I gave him a nod and turned around to walk upstairs. I was almost at the top and I could see the ladder pulled down. Walking over to it I gripped the side and pushed my way up.

The attic space was a lot larger than I thought it would be. It was an actual full room, bigger than the one Carl and I occupied.

"the hell you doin'?"

I looked over to the right where Daryl was sitting on a bed next to a small window.

"Well…" I began as I pushed myself up to my feet.

"I was looking for you…wanted to talk"

"No offense but uh I don' really want to"

"Well that's too bad because I'm going to anyway" I smirked as I got closer to where he was.

His crossbow was propped up against the bed and his hunting knives were all placed on a folded old shirt.

I could see he was beginning to get annoyed with my presence so I just jumped to what I wanted to say.

"Listen…I just don't think that it would be a good idea for you to go searching outside"

"N' I don't give a damn what you think little girl"

"Jesus Daryl just stop please…don't attack me okay, I didn't say anything bad…"

"so you carin' for me now?"

"Dammit listen, of course I don't want your sorry ass to get killed out there…"

He somewhat smiled at my reaction and bent down to take a swing from a glass bottle he had on the ground.

"I just don't want for things to repeat…I don't want what happened back _there_ to repeat itself"

He didn't say anything and gave a slight nod. He took one last gulp from the bottle before swinging it in my direction.

"No thanks"

"Well you sure did like the wine"

"Yeah I do but I don't want that" I said as I pointed to the label less bottle.

"Oh just somethin' I found" he said as he looked inside of it.

"Alright..well…I'm going"

I turned to go back down before turning around to meet his gaze.

"Oh and by the way…don't call me little girl"

I smirked knowing that he took it lightly and continued going down the ladder.

….

**A short chapter but I am working on more so don't worry. I have been receiving emails of people making this story a favorite of theirs so I would like to thank all of you for keeping up with it. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: A storm is coming**

Looking out of the window of the room I shared with Carl, I could see the clouds turn several shades darker. The wind picked up to push against the trees and leaves were sent tumbling.

"Doesn't look good"

I turned around and looked down to find Carl standing behind. I crossed my arms and looked back once more. "No…it sure doesn't…"

"Are you and the others going out today?" Carl asked concerned.

"I think we can all agree that we have enough for the time being..."

We looked over to the door to find his father leaning there.

"It's looking pretty ugly out there…didn't think it would make a good trip into town"

"Agreed". Carl looked at his father before leaving the room. "Oh, and Maggie wanted me to tell you that the washer downstairs works…said you'd be thrilled" he informed me giving me a quick smile.

"Oh damn that's great…I'd hate to go back to the old ways"

Dropping the subject he asked, "So how'd ya sleep?"

"Well, alright…much better than before but the dreams keep on coming no matter how hard I try and push them away"

He walked over to me and wrapped both arms around me. "It will take time…"

"Rick…"

Lori appeared outside the room and I unlaced my arms from his body. Something was apparent in the look she gave me until Rick turned and walked over to her. "I uh need your help with some of the boxes downstairs"

"Alright…" Rick gave me one last look before heading downstairs.

…..

(In the kitchen)

Opening a can of corn, Maggie stood next to Carol who was filling cups of rice to add to the pot on the stove. "You know you're pretty good at this…how'd ya learn?" Maggie asked.

Carol continued what she was doing replying, "Just grew up doing it…and during the time I was with…_him_…I just had to learn how to cook more"

"Ah…well my mother taught me a few things but not that much…"

Silence filled the space until Carol looked out the kitchen window. "It's getting worse by the minute…it's only 3 o'clock and already it's beginning to look like the evening".

Maggie, standing behind Carol, bent over to have a look and said, "Well, I hope no one's outside…Daryl in?"

"Yeah, he's upstairs in the attic…he likes his space…he really has changed over time…I've come to know him better, it's always been just him and now it feels like he's just now opening up".

Carol's small speech had Maggie thinking.

"Wait…but I thought …I thought Olivia was with Daryl?"

Carol stopped what she was doing and looked over at Maggie with the most confused expression. Turning away from the window, Carol crossed her arms and rested her back against the sink.

"Who told you that?"

Maggie looked out into the space before looking back over to her and answering.

"Olivia did…"

Carol shook her head looking absolutely stunned.

"But how…"

Lowering her tone, Maggie spoke, "Just the other night…she was in the bathroom...she dropped a condom and said she and Daryl are together…"

"What about me?"

Daryl had just entered the kitchen and both Carol and Maggie shut their mouths instantly.

He made his way to the fridge while holding their gaze.

"What about me, huh?" He was curious but he pushed to know why his name was mentioned.

"Nothing…just talkin" Maggie stated, turning and finding something to busy herself.

"Nah, didn't sound like nothin…what bout Olivia?"

"We just wanted to know where…"before Carol could finish, Maggie threw up her right hand and waved at him asking, "Are you and Olivia together?"

Taken back by her question, Daryl grabbed a can of beer and his eyebrows bent in confusion

…

**Short chapter but I really wanted to post. So…Daryl finds out and just wait until he bumps into Olivia. I love Rick and Daryl so all you Daryl fans out there, there will be some good parts coming up soon **** this storm is going to have a negative effect on the entire group and I will eventually push this story to match up with the current season episodes. Speaking of which, damn this brand new season is amazing so far isn't it!? Anyway, another chapter is on the way so keep reading and enjoy! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Dark Clouds, Rough Winds and Surprises**

_5:00 pm_

An old grandfather clock chimed as the hour hand hovered above five. I pulled a fresh clean striped shirt over my head and pulled on a pair of lightly colored jeans. It was still fairly early; however, it looked like night outside. The clouds looked serious and the winds began to pick up speed, pushing up against the old house. You could hear the cracks and howls as it beat against the windows.

The last article of clothing I reached for was a sweater and after I made my way downstairs for dinner. I could hear everyone chatting as I got closer and once I turned the corner, they all found their place at the table. Daryl sat in a chair separate from the table. My gaze fell on him, noticing that he couldn't hold a stare as long as he used to.

"There you are Olivia…take a seat" Rick said politely.

Oddly enough, the only available seat was located near Daryl. Something didn't feel right in the space but without asking or expressing my thoughts I sat down.

"It's getting really bad outside…it looks like nighttime out there" Maggie spoke out in worry.

"Which is precisely why we need to make sure every window is covered and we use the small candles" said Rick.

Carol reached up to slide the kitchen curtain across, shielding us from the eyes of the walkers. A soft glow of a few candles illuminated the kitchen space and offered warmth to us all.

Lori walked around with a stack of plates in her hands, delivering one to each of us. Fresh rice and beans mixed with vegetables filled our plates and the smell couldn't be any more delicious.

"Ya know we might have to pack all the food that's here if you're gonna keep makin' stuff like this" T-Dog commented.

"Thank you, well I thought we could try something different…"

"It's good, Carol thank you" I said.

She looked at me with straight lips before a smile graced her face. Looking down she sat down and we all began eating. The dinner conversation consisted of curious questions about what our next action would be, but the same answers followed them just like days ago.

…

Taking my dishes to the sink, Carol stood by assisting with washing. With everyone else gone except for Daryl who remained in his seat drinking, it felt almost awkward. Carol turned to look at me, and then looked quickly back at the plate she held, drying it fast.

"Alright, Carol what do you want to tell me?" I whispered. When her eyes met mine, it seemed as though she had decided to pass the question. "I uh…we need some more candles from the basement…could you take some upstairs too?" My eyebrows bent in suspicion but I nodded and agreed to get them. She finished drying the very last of the cutlery and turned on her way out. Passing by Daryl she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't stay up too late…" she joked. Daryl looked up from his bottle and let out an amusing _hmpf!_

"Yes mother"

Silence took over once Carol left the kitchen. Now, it was just Daryl and I. Folding the kitchen cloth and placing it on the counter I stood up straight and walked over to the basement. Making it down the steps I reached up to pull the thin string which hung in nearby. The dim lighting helped me navigate the area, searching for the box of candles. Looking at the table I was instantly reminded of the tryst Rick and I had. _Creeking _sounds from the stairwell tore me away from the memory.

As soon as I saw the familiar shoes I let out a sigh and asked, "Daryl…what are you doing down here?"

He chuckled lightly as he made his way down. "Just thought you'd need help…in case any walkers jump out".

"Really…well there are none…searched the first time I came down here" I resumed my task in picking out candles from the box.

"So…Maggie asked me something earlier…"

My hands stopped and my body froze in place at his words. _What the hell did she ask him? _Pulling my hands out of the box I turned and rested my bottom against the table. Crossing my arms I asked, "What did she ask you?" My heart was beating rapidly.

"If you 'n' I are together"

It fell quiet and only the winds beating up against the house could be heard.

….

**Hello! **** Okay so this is short but I had to throw something out just to let all of you know I'm still alive and continuing the story. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The silence was so unbearable to the point where a pin drop could be heard. With arms crossed my heart still couldn't slow down as I continued to process his question. The dim lighting illuminated his face enough for me to make out the confusion and curiosity present.

"Well…" he pushed, unable to stand the awkwardness.

I stared at him straight and swallowed. My jaws clenched and I blinked before the word simply fell from my lips.

"No". I turned and resumed my task but I could feel him standing in the same place. "_Hmpf_ Really? Well then…the hell was she talkin' 'bout?" his tone sounding rough and commanding. My hands rummaged through the box in a hurry to pick the last of candles. Suddenly, my thumb and index finger of my right hand grazed against something broken and I pulled back in pain. Grasping my hand in pain I let out a curse and turned around in frustration.

"I don't know! Ugh goddammit…" Holding my hand I could see a thin dark stream of blood flow over the skin. My attention was put directly on the pain oblivious to the body that came close to inspect the wound. His large hand grasped mine slowly and pulled it up. "Damn, you really cut yourself…here…" his voice lowered, reaching into his pocket to pull out a small piece of fabric. He did it with such ease and gentleness that it shocked me. Able to wrap it around fully he told me to secure it. My thoughts ran wild and I didn't know what to think at the moment. He was showing a side I've never seen and I didn't know what to make of it.

"I still wanna know…" he persisted.

"She was probably just joking around Daryl" I let out a sigh, hoping that he would take what I said and leave it at that. But, no such luck.

"That why it sounded so real?" his eyes looked into mine, searching.

"Well it should have sounded fake…it's not true" I replied grabbing as many candles as I could and turned to leave. His hand reached out to take hold of my upper arm.

"You hidin' something?" he accused me even in question.

"What the…what did you hear?" I asked, stopping myself from speaking louder in annoyance.

"So…there is somethin'?"

"I'm not going to play this damn game…tell me, what did she say?"

"Aint that big of a house and I aint deaf either". Our gazes remained locked onto each other as I couldn't speak. The weather outside was picking up and the winds were beating up against the house harder, making creaking and howling sounds throughout.

"Carol and Maggie were in the kitchen talkin' and heard Maggie tellin' her that the other night you claimed that we're together"

My mouth felt glued and anger began to rise. I told her not to say a fucking thing and now Carol…oh Carol must be confused. Things were really getting twisted and mixed and it was causing a great deal of stress.

"Oh 'n…droppin' a condom mean anything to you?" his brows rose in curiosity. "Now what the hell is that about?"

My cheeks burned, my hands began to shake and before I could get even more worked up I decided to let and go and fall. Lowering my voice I faced him and said, "Rick…it's Rick".

"Damn Olivia, really? Since when?" he sounded surprised and…something else I couldn't quite make out. "Since I saved his ass from the hospital!"

I huffed out my frustration and turned away to go up the stairs, leaving him behind. Making it out of the basement I placed the box on the ground beside the door and gripped my forehead. I took a few to calm down before looking around. Frantic steps down the stairs brought me back and I looked ahead to find Maggie rushing to me. Following her, the rest of the group began to pack up.

"Olivia!" she called to me with urgency.

"Maggie…" the name rolled off my lips uneasy, "what the hell is going on". I could hear the heavy steps of Daryl coming up from behind. "We need to leave, there's just too many coming our way…" she looked scared beyond belief and everyone stayed close.

"Like the farm…"

"Yeah…" Her head shook. Rick stepped forward and loaded his gun as well as Hershel. Passing me, Daryl threw me a quick look and moved make his way to the front. "We need to keep our voices down…the windows are covered but we need to move carefully…"

"How the hell are we getting out of here?" I asked.

"There's a back door on the other side of the house…we leave through there and make our way to the cars".

Daryl moved to peek out the entrance door to find a large group making their way closer. It was a nightmare come true. Our fears caught up once again. Getting his crossbow ready he turned to join the group as we followed the plan. Rushing out the other side, the winds had picked up viciously pushing us back once the door was opened. Rain pelted against our skin. Pushing forward we all ran out. Making our way to the vehicles, one walker took notice and after one, there was two and then more. T-Dog rushed inside the truck along with Lori, Carl, Maggie and Glenn.

"Olivia! Come on!" I heard Rick's voice yell.

Darkness swallowed the land as the storm took over. Leaves and rain blew every way and out of nowhere a walker lunged from the side and swung at me. It caught me by such surprise that I yelped out of fright until a stiff arrow flew to its head and sent it down to the ground. Daryl's hand squeezed my arm and pulled me to sit on his motorcycle. The engines started up and we were off. His hands gripped the handles tightly and the bike was kicked into speed to follow the cars much closer. The sound of our departure from the house we all thought was our second home and the sound of the storm and moans of those dead was deafening. I looked behind to find the large group still following in quick strides.

Making it onto the road we chose to continue wherever it would lead us. It wasn't too long before my head fell onto his back with my hands holding on tight.

…**..(Flashback)**

From the porch I watched Lori and Rick argue. With no words to hear I could still make out the topic of the conversation as it was evident as long as Shayne was still walking around. Rick's face was red and full of anger and disappointment. It went on for what felt like forever until it finally ended with him storming away. I didn't know what to feel at the moment. Moving away from my place I walked off the porch and headed for my tent. Crawling inside I sat down to look over a gun I acquired just recently. Turning it from side to side I looked over it, thinking about how much of a necessity it has become in this new world. Keeping it in hand I stood to leave the tent and zipped it closed. With the sun still blazing I squinted as I stared out into the open field. Coming up with an idea, I searched the area for some wood and glass bottles.

"Now what kinda trouble are you getting yourself into this time?"

I stopped to turn and look at a recovering Rick. Choosing to keep from the troubling conversation I had witnessed minutes ago I answered his teasing question. I thought it was best to change his mood.

"Well…since you asked…I'm going to learn to shoot better" I cheerfully said. "Gonna set up some things to test my marksmanship". He eyed me with a new smile. "Uhuh and if you shoot somebody?"

"Huh? If I shoot somebody…well, there is a doctor in the house isn't there?" I joked. With a short laugh he came closer and took my gun. "Now why don't I teach you a few things…before you kill someone". Our fingers met and a surge of electricity jumped from our quick connection.

"That's funny…may I recall a certain someone helping you survive thus far?"

"And if she expects to save my ass in the future she is going to learn how to shoot…**better**". I smirked knowing he wasn't going to leave. He refused to have me carry out my idea. Walking away with my gun he carried on and looked back once to wave so that I would follow. I jogged to catch up and felt the excitement build within me of what I was going to learn.

…**(End of Flashback)**

"Olivia"

I woke up again to the sound of Daryl's voice but this time it was gentle. Moving his shoulders my head was pushed up and I looked around. The rest of the group stopped in front.

"Where are we?"

"Another house…come on" he stepped off the bike and held my hand to help me stand. Everyone left and with caution approached the new house on the right. It appeared to be abandoned...two stories and no lights on. Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl pulled out their flashlights and helped to light the way. In the night we prepared ourselves for another challenge: checking an entirely new temporary home. With the storm continuing we hoped that it would serve as shelter until the next morning.

…..

**Hello! I'm so sorry it has definitely been a long time since I updated this. I have read all of your reviews and love them all. Starting back, next chapter will be longer and more will be revealed. I don't want to reveal too much about the 'relationship' between Olivia and Daryl. I will keep you all guessing and sending messages about what you think will or even should happen. At some point I am going to skip through episodes and tie it all into where the season left off **


End file.
